Course Reflection

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Throughout the semester in CT 101, I have learned a lot about my major as well as myself. I never saw myself as much of artist or graphic/web designer, but in taking this class I feel that I could have a possible career in this field. Considering the fact that I might want to design and maybe eventually help create video games, this course has helped me to better my skills.

 

Re-Cap Questions

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1.What did you enjoy about our class and how you will apply your new skills into the world? In this class class, I definitely enjoyed the freedom of expression and dedication to culture and artistry. I felt free to be as creative as I wanted to be, allowing me to explore parts of my creativity I now value very much. And I have to say that the PicsArt Meme Maker was the app downloaded during this class that I enjoyed the most. I definitely plan on using my new found skills in the real world to create things for a better tomorrow.

                                 

2.Will you maintain and keep up your new website? If so, how? If not, Why not? The absolute best part of this class was creating a website. At first I thought the process was going to be difficult, but it wasn’t hard at all. Professor Seslow, for every assignment, especially this one, gave a step by step lesson and video on each blog post since week #1. I appreciated that a lot because it made things a lot easier. But yes, I do plan on maintaining my website, using it as a platform for creativity and inspiration for others. Times are tuff sometimes and we all need a little motivation every once in awhile, and my website, TheDreamLair, can help with that. With the right amount of inspiration, comedy and creativity, anything is possible.

Final Website Link & Description

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My website TheDreamLair is a place where hopes and reams go to thrive. Over the course of quarantine, I found myself stuck in a bit of a rut, until finally my second semester of college had started and I was taking CT 101. It really put things into perspective for me, I had already been trying to become an influencer and this website just added on to the other sources of light in the darkness of the world. I know it sounds a bit over zealous, but my hope is to take this website to the next level. “Dreams can begin small, but with some hard work, they can turn into something beautiful.” (Shark Tale Movie Quote)

I really enjoyed taking this class, and can’t wait to take more CT classes next semester!

 

My Take On Copyrighting

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After watching the ted talk with Larry Lessig, and after much consideration I find that the copyright rule is much needed for the internet. Especially this day in age, where we have so many people who can get so comfortable in ripping off other people’s ideas and creations. There is no fair justice in lying and taking credit for something that was not yours to begin with.

As technology has become so diverse and advanced over the years, we as human can’t help but to evolve right along with it. And that’s what’s supposed to happen, but can our so called culture be tainted by the minds and plans of those who want to much power? People who are so driven by pride that they can drag a whole generation into a pit of darkness? It sounds morbid, but yes, it’s true.

Larry Lessig made some very compelling points in this ted talk, words and  ideas that need to be told to the public about the world’s past history with developing technology. At the beginning of the ted talk video, Lessig mentions a man by the name of John Philip Sousa who was nonetheless, a man of true essence and culture. And rightfully so, but I did disagree with his thoughts on technology not developing. He implied that these “infernal machines” would do us no good.

In a way, he was wrong, but he was also right; Lessig goes on to say that the culture went on from a “read-write” to “read-only” existence. To me that meant that half of the time we only read something just to read it, but when is the last time somebody took account for what they have read? Or done research, and developed more on what they’ve learned? And it’s at that point that the copyrighting rule, though not always fair, it’s a rule that’s needed, especially for this generation. Especially when people don’t take the time to really dive into what they’re reading or learning. To understand and take account for what you learn is the greatest venture of them all. Truly looking past the words that lie in front of you, is the most important thing.

Exploring The World Wide Web

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For today’s assignment, we had to explore some of our classmates websites, and in doing that I saw many fun and creative websites that were  just awesome.

The one that stuck out the most to me, was Cassie’s website There’s Life Outside. First off, I love astronomy and all things about the universe, and I haven’t seen a good conspiracy theorist in awhile, and Cassie I think you are really onto something with your website. It was straight-forward and to the point, and I like how you designed the background, and the pictures you included. It is very unique and very creative, well done!

(An Astro Vibe!)

I also enjoyed Angel’s website A Strange Perspective, it’s the perfect amount of optimistic and realistic. Your perspective of the average human being exploring and enjoying life is very interesting, I like how your writing is very complex yet simply put.

Being a writer myself, I can appreciate when someone writes from a place of truth, for in the truth lies the key to a balanced existence. Sounds a little too deep, but it’s true. So Angel and Cassie, you guys both did a great job on your websites, and I can’t wait to see what you come up with next.

 

Intro To “Inspo-World”

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Hello everyone! So today’s assignment was vey fun to do. I published mu first inspirational blog post, which you can check out here: https://thedreamlair.org/inspo-world/hello-dreamers/

Today I introduced “Inspo-World” a place where you can find daily motivational quotes and affirmations, so if you ever need a laugh, or you just need some motivation, head on over to “Inspo-World.”

Let’s bring the life back into our dreams!

(Image Made With the “Flyer Maker” App)

What Is My Website About?

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My website is mainly just a safe space for people from all over the world to come and feel inspired and ambitious about life. It will be a mixture of things, ranging from an advice column to inspirational quotes and graphics.

Everyday I’m on all of my social media platforms posting new and exciting content that I hope will inspire people to post great content of their own. I always do my best to keep up with the latest trends  and I am always looking for new talent. People just being themselves and creating an online connection with hundreds to millions of people.

The Dream Lair is a place for people who, like me, have dreams that they want to come true. And it’s hard to get motivated sometimes, but with the right sources and the right attitude, any dream can be achieved. And that is the main purpose of this website, to give people from all walks of life a different angle, to look at things from the brighter side for a change.

 

Starting The Journey On Making A Website

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This weeks assignment to start making our own websites was really fun. It was not a difficult process, especially since Professor Seslow broke it down step by step during class. I watched the video again, all the way through and it was smooth sailing from there.

I had been looking forward to this assignment, even before spring break. Finally completing it, I feel very much accomplished and relieved. It turns out that making a website is easy, just as long as you follow every step correctly.

Having a website is a good source of connection between you and the rest of the world. Especially during the pandemic where everything is handled remotely. My website is still under construction at the moment, but I will be posting more content soon. Until then, if you want to check it out, you can find the link here.

CT 101 Re-Cap

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1. How am I doing in CT101? What grade do I believe I am maintaining?                       

 I honestly feel that I am doing pretty good in CT 101. At first I wasn’t sure I would understand what we were learning, but it turned out to be pretty easy. It can be a challenge at times, but a good one where I learn something I hadn’t known before. I believe that I am maintaining a good grade, I follow the instructions and turn the work in on time.

2. What have I learned the most? What is my greatest learned asset in this class so far? 

So far, I have mostly learned about the In’s and Out’s of graphic design. I never really saw myself as a graphic designer until I started CT 101. I’ve learned a lot about, blogging and citing sources, and just creating great art in general.

3. What skills have I developed , cultivated and displayed regularly in my posts?

I have definitely developed more on my writing and art skills. Well, creative/commentary writing really, especially with making the GIFs and Memes. I see that more often than not, my sense of writing like how I talk has improved a lot. (A Photoshop and Meme picture I created)

4. How do I assess my performance through self-reflection in this class?

Through self-reflection on my performance in this class, I’ve noticed that there are areas in which I could always improve. Whether it be, adding more pictures or hyperlinks. Each time I work on a new blog post, I improve.

5. What do I know now that I did not know before taking this class?

After being in the class for about 6 weeks now, I have a lot of things that I wasn’t aware of before. Like the DS106 application, that in particular is my favorite, it is a great tool to use to express yourself and create new and exciting content. (My DS106 Assignment Post Below)

The “Vogue Challenge”

6. Do I see my weekly blogging work expanding creatively? If so, please explain –  or am I stuck in a loop where my posts seem to look the same most of the time, how will I change that? 

I have definitely that my weekly blogging continues to improve. With each new assignment, I find myself expanding my graphic design palette. Making different types of are and experimenting with new tools and websites. Because of this class, I am currently working on some new ideas for the upcoming assignment, where we will create our own websites. It seemed like a lot of work before, but now I am more motivated than ever.

Domain Name Options

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I have been contemplating creating a website for a long time. It’s been a recurring thought for me, the only thing stopping me was, what is it going to be about? Honestly, I’m still not sure what it will be about, but I feel that this assignment, and the upcoming assignments will help me to decide.

Over the course of quarantine, I’ve come to find that I have many hidden talents that I did not know about. Many of my friends and colleagues have come to this realization as well. And I am humbled to say that, my website will be focused around renaissance people (people who have many skills/talents). It will be a safe space for people to read and take in stories of other people’s journeys down the renaissance road.

Possible Names For My Website:

1. TheDreamLair.com
2. JustInspo.org
3. UnchainedProductions.com
4. BTCYWTS.com (Be The Change You Want To See)
5. TDaze.org
6. #GenZSquad.org

All of these name options all revolve around the same topic, inspiring everyone to be the best version of themselves everyday. I get inspired by so many social media influencers, youtubers and entrepreneurs everyday. And I hope to inspire others like how the world inspires me. Some of my most favorite websites are of course YouTube , Inspirational Quotes Websites  and Teen Vogue Magazine .

I visit these websites frequently for much needed positivity and inspiration. I get my daily quotes, daily news and all around comedy, some of the basics necessities of life that we need more of during this pandemic. Life’s too short to have the negativity overwhelm you, rise above and be better than the things that bring you down.

My website will start off as an advice column with tips and different activities to complete. It will be an online/virtual community center, a place where people who feel different or misunderstood can come and be whoever they choose to be.

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Screen Video Review

In watching the documentary on “The Internets Own Boy”, I gathered that Aaron Swartz was a much needed advocate for change. He seemed like the kind of person who would go to the lengths of challenging authority to call out the wrong-doings of society. Swartz was a brilliant person, who took learning to a whole other level from a young age. It’s almost a “one in a million” kind of effect when it comes to people like Aaron who took the initiative to be observant and analyze everything. This documentary discussing his death, just proves that most of society will destroy what they can’t and won’t understand. This just further proves that we need more people like Aaron Swartz in the world today.

Initial Inspiration

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Concert You Want to Be At

I chose this particular post, one because I found it very unique and creative. And two, because I love Michael Jackson (sorry for the screenshot being blurry). I don’t have much experience with photo shop, so I thought I’d give this one a try.

My whole life, I’ve always wanted to go to an Ariana Grande Concert, and hopefully meet her one day. She’s always been such a huge inspiration to me, and It would be amazing to sit front row at one of her concerts.

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This next post I found to be hilarious and quite factual, being that it’s a question that could be on everyone’s mind. What Happened To Mario?

Create a Magazine Cover

I thought I’d give this one a try, considering that I’ve made magazine covers for myself before on Instagram. A couple of months ago, there was a trend going around where everyone was doing the “Vogue Challenge.” It’s basically where you take a photo of yourself and edit it like you’re on Vogue Magazine.

     

Again, I apologize for the picture being so blurry, but these photos are some of my very favorites. Ever since quarantine started, I have taken up photography as a hobby, along with modeling. All in all, I can definitely say that I will enjoy doing a lot of these DS106 assignments, challenging the creative edge and working on graphic design.

(Here is my uploaded assignment to the DS106 Website)

 

The “Vogue Challenge”

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More of A Challenge But Good To Learn

#tdc3338 #ds106 What do you see through your window? GIF it to us.

This assignment looks very interesting and well detailed. It’s definitely a challenge, especially if you want to do it correctly. It is more of a challenge, but would be good to learn in the future. I think that it would be very useful for graphic design and just art in general.

Do I Consider Memes To Be Art?

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Memes are gems in this perfectly imperfect world. Most of the time, it’s what keeps everything together, making a serious situation a memorable and funny moment. (A thread of some of my own memes)

This is the greatest type of art with freedom of expression, the best kind of expression.

You know the saying, “Dreams are what you make them”, well memes are the same thing, whatever you do, make sure the meme makes sense and if possible, make sure it’s something that maybe other people can relate to.            

   

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(A thread of Memes that inspire me/make me laugh)

     

 

         

                 

           

       

So, overall I 100% believe that memes are art. They can be funny, they can be sad or even serious. At the end of the day, everyone has a meme they can relate to and make memes themselves.

Becoming a social media influencer

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Over the course of Quarantine, I have been trying to boost my social media presence on all platforms. From Tik Tok, Facebook, Instagram, BIGO, YouTube, BandLab and SoundCloud. And I came to realize very quickly, that it is not an easy task, with school starting back I had to learn how to manage my time better, in order to balance work and fun.

Becoming an influencer is all about confidence, when you gain the confidence, you can then inspire others to become influencers themselves. For me, I love to inspire people through performing arts of all kinds, whether it be dancing, singing, acting, the list goes on and on. The most important thing in all of this, is to block out the negativity. There will always be someone who will try to knocking you down when your moving up. Don’t give the haters any power over you, work hard and rise above and be better.

Always remember that the biggest and most greatest accomplishment in being on social media is having confidence and inspiring others with your message. If you’re willing to put yourself out there, regardless of how the world will react then you’re ready. And never let anyone dim your light in this world, there is no greater star in the sky than you.

The Family Project

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The Family Project is a very funny YouTube channel that has been active for about 3 or 5 years now. Over the course of the quarantine I have been watching their videos everyday, and let me tell you the comedy is off the charts. What I like most about The Family Project is that their energy is contagious and so genuine.

It has become almost rare that YouTubers fully put their hearts into making videos anymore. But The Family Project has created a platform of infinite possibilities, not just for themselves, but for all their followers. Being a social media influencer is not an easy job, you have to stay current with the trends and keep your fan base entertained. And every time I tune in to The Family Project they never fail to make me laugh or feel their vibrant energy.

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Being a YouTuber myself, I have learned a lot from watching their videos and following their social media pages. The most important things to remember are to have fun, make connections, be professional and make sure to keep your content relevant. Some people may not agree, but social media can bring people together and maybe even make the world a better place. It may sound cheesy, but you’ll be surprised when making a couple videos expands into an entire empire influencing others.